By signing up for the TBEX Event you have just unlocked an opportunity door. Now is the time to make the best of that opportunity by preparing right.

Here are the 10 tips for attending TBEX:

BRING BUSINESS CARDS AND MEDIA KIT

Although it’s an informal conference but you end up meeting lots of people from the travel industry. While they might remember you during the conference but as they say out of sight out of mind. You don’t want a golden opportunity to go waste, right? Bring minimum 250 business cards. Trust me, you don’t want to run out of cards. Don’t experiment too much with the shape and font. Keep it simple but play with the images. Giving your audience a chance to pick up a card of their choice from multiple images clicked by you is both engaging as well as distinguishing from the rest. Also, it’s good to carry your media kit and portfolio. As they say seeing is believing.

REACH ON TIME

I am guilty of missing out on the key note session, thanks to over partying the previous night and staying far away from the conference venue. Try and stay as close to the venue as possible. You save lot of time from getting stuck in the traffic. Even if you don’t want to attend any session, being present at the venue offers great opportunity for networking.

RESEARCH ABOUT THE SPEAKERS

Speaker sessions are diverse and designed to cater to different needs of different segments. Read about the speakers and their topic beforehand so you can choose which session to attend and which to miss. Sometimes a topic might appear interesting on paper but might not be great in person. Walk out and attend any other session at any time. I personally preferred attending those sessions which helped me upskill my professional skills like the Facebook session by Eden Ruden and the Hyperlapse session by Scott Herder.

BOOK IN ADVANCE

At TBEX, early bird gets the worm. Not only do you get to save money on registration fee but you also get to attend the PREBEX tour and post FAMTRIPS of your choice. So earlier you book more choices you have. While registering, do ask for discounts from other people who might have already registered. You can easily save up to 20%.

FOLLOW TBEX SOCIAL ASSETS

TBEX social assets are full with loads of useful information. Don’t forget to join the closed community group of TBEX on Facebook. Do check their feeds regularly. TBEX organising committee has a lot on its plate therefore not everything gets communicated through their website or newsletter. You need to follow all their assets to be in know how. If you don’t follow them, you could be missing out on great opportunities.

BE PROACTIVE. INTERACT WITH ALL

Keep your introvert personality at home when you come to the TBEX. Take the first lead and meet as many people as you can. Exchange cards, ask questions, understand their businesses, their problems and then pitch yourself. Never oversell yourself. Remember, its spotting opportunities not selling.

DRESS APPROPRIATELY

TBEX is an informal conference but still dress to impress. First impression is the last impression and you don’t want to get it wrong. If you are a luxury blogger then your style should reflect the same, if you are a budget traveler then casuals work just fine. Another most important thing, keep the itinerary in mind when packing for your FAM Trip and please pack in advance. Don’t keep it for the last moment. I did a blunder of not packing a swimsuit when our trip was a beach holiday.

CLICK AND MOVE

There will be lot of bloggers traveling with you on the Pre and Post FAM tours, who would be equally excited as you are to click pictures. So don’t waste too much time in clicking pictures. Wait for your turn and move on quickly. Be courteous to others. Instead of going on a click-spree frame the shot in your mind and execute it quickly. Most important, don’t get too busy clicking the pictures that you forget to enjoy the moment.

GIVE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY

A thriving community is an outcome of engaged members. Participate in conversations, share your feelings, doubts, pictures, videos and everything you want to communicate. The best way to get compliments is by giving one 🙂

Be PATIENT

It’s one of the biggest event in Travel Industry therefore the scale of preparations is huge. And when the scale is huge minor hiccups are bound to happen. During those times its best to keep your calm and not aggravate the issue. Trust me, organisers would do their best to make you feel comfortable. My luggage got misplaced during one of the tours but the Philippines Tourism Board and the hotel staff more than made it up for the oversight.